1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for forcibly shutting down a computer system, and more specifically, to an apparatus and method for forcibly shutting down a system when the system is determined to be in an abnormal state.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a computer system of present days includes a system memory and a central processing unit connected to each other. The central processing unit and the system memory exchange data and a plurality of control signals through a host bridge. The host bridge provides an interface among a plurality of different constitutional components within the computer system. For example, a keyboard, a mouse, disk drives, and the like are connected through an input/output bridge, and the input/output bridge is connected to the host bridge to provide interfaces between a plurality of peripheral devices, the central processing unit, and memory subsystems.
In the meantime, if power is supplied to an embedded computer system, the central processing unit loads a BIOS program stored in ROM onto a system RAM and executes BIOS and POST routines, and the POST routine is configured to have program codes for testing whether system resources, such as a central processing unit, a memory, a graphic card, and a hard disk, normally operate.
If the POST routine is executed and then each component of the system normally operates, the operating system (OS) is driven to search for setting information on system hardware and software and to prepare the system for operation.
In the meantime, since devices of the system and drivers for driving the devices should be searched for when the system is booted, there is a problem in that booting time is extended. In order to solve the above problem, a hibernation mode (S4 mode) has been adopted, in which contents of a main memory are stored in a certain portion of the hard disk when the system is shut down, and the system information stored in the hard disk is read by the main memory in the next booting to thereby boot the system in the state before the shut down.
However, the prior art as described above has following problems.
That is, there may be cases where a computer system abnormally operates and the operation of the system is suspended while the system is not shut down. At this time, there is a problem in that the battery continuously consumes power and is discharged even though the system is in an abnormal state.
Furthermore, in the prior art, when the system is not normally shut down and the battery is continuously consumed, there is danger of accident since temperature of the battery rises.